How Many Years To Rebuild This Team?

He a solid scorer (career 17.4 ppg) and blocks shots well (1.7 career avg). He's solid but not amazing on the boards but scores efficiently and gets to the FT line. I think he and LMA would be a formidable front line.

I'm just not sure if the Blazers are ready to spend a lot of cash on a center that's coming off of a major injury.

 

I think you give up anyone outside LMA for Rondo. This is a PG league, and Rondo would do more to turn this team around than Batum possibly could.

LMA, Rondo and a free agent like Gordon would be a core that could seriously content in the West.

 

I think more than anything, we need a leader for a PG.

We need to stop this madness of hiring combo guards or turn over prone PGs. We need one that can shoot from the perimeter and run an offense. It doesn't have to be an all-star, but definitely someone very capable of the two things I mentioned. Having that, LMA and Batum is the first step to success.

Then we need to find a good PF, since centers are much harder to find. Move Aldridge to center and we should be good from there.

I guess the final step is to find a coach capable of prepping his team. Obviously Nate doesn't have a clue to motivate his team.

 

I think more than anything, we need a leader for a PG.

We need to stop this madness of hiring combo guards or turn over prone PGs. We need one that can shoot from the perimeter and run an offense. It doesn't have to be an all-star, but definitely someone very capable of the two things I mentioned. Having that, LMA and Batum is the first step to success.

Then we need to find a good PF, since centers are much harder to find. Move Aldridge to center and we should be good from there.

I guess the final step is to find a coach capable of prepping his team. Obviously Nate doesn't have a clue to motivate his team.

 

I think that would be a huge mistake. Rondo is arguably the worst perimeter shooting PG in the league. He is a great defender and can run the defense, but Boston had two deadly shooters to compensate for Rondo's inability to hit the perimeter shot. You think it's bad now, wait until teams pack the paint and dare Rondo and the hacks we have left on the team; leaving Aldridge suffocated down low.

 

Great minds think a like!

But in all seriousness. In the 4th, teams are daring us to shoot the perimeter jumper, while packing the paint. We need to find players that would open things up for us. Hell maybe just a trade with Orlando could do the trick. Maybe we grab Turk? LOL

 

He does so much that his lack of a 3 doesn't worry me that badly. He's 26 and #2 in the NBA in assists. That's a player you can build with IMHO. The priority to get a SG like Gordon would ratchet up if Batum were moved for him.

 

Don't get me wrong, Rondo is an amazing player. Arguably one of the top 5 PGs in the league. The obvious problem is his lack of perimeter shooting. We need someone that can consistently knock down the open jumpers. If we had a JJ Reddick, then it maybe worth the risk.

 

How long to rebuild?

[video=youtube;H-Q7b-vHY3Q]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Q7b-vHY3Q[/video]

 

Don't get hung up on the deficiencies of the current squad (there are almost too many to list). Adding Rondo would be a pretty major overhaul in the tempo and style this team plays. Adding him would be the first step in changing the character of the team on a meaningful way.

 

For PG I'd like to go the Andre Miller route again. Obviously not Andre (he'd never come back) but a proven veteran older guy who knows his job (feed Aldridge/Batum, hit open threes). Maybe he doesn't win you a ton of games, but he doesn't lose them either and he spreads the floor.

If Billups is healthy and interested, I'd give him a long look. He can hit that three still, and he's got the veteran bag o' tricks.

Calderon is overpaid ($9 mil/1 more year) and on a .281 team. He might be had for some crummy players in a Gerald Wallace kind of deal.

Neither guy is a "Wow! That changes everything with their personal awesomeness!" move, but they are adequate rentals. Nash or Deron are obviously much more preferable, but it's pretty questionable that we could get either.

I'm not that excited about giving up Batum for Rondo. He's had interpersonal issues, he can't hit threes, he's shorter and older. His PER is good, but probably much worse than Batum since Batum became a starting SG. PG is a highly desired position, so that mitigates some of that. But not enough in my book.

 

This.

Rondo is both overrated and a head case.

 

That's not homerism, that's common sense. We have to try like hell to get a decent point guard without giving up Batum. And if we can't, and have to lose Batum in the process, then he'd better be a pretty fucking good point guard, and be able to contribute for at least 4 years.

 

If this overrated, I'll take it any day of the week.

1× NBA Champion: 2008
2× NBA All-Star: 2010, 2011
3× NBA All-Defensive:

First Team: 2010, 2011
Second Team: 2009

NBA All-Rookie selection:

Second team: 2007

NBA regular season leader:

steals: 2010 (189)
steals per game: 2010 (2.3)

Boston Celtics franchise records:

Most assists in a single season: 794 (2009–10)
Most steals in a single season: 189 (2009–10)
Most assists in a playoff game: 20 (2010–11)

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajon_Rondo

 

Not for Batum though. There must be another way to get Rondo.